What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

For most people, there are usually few or no symptoms of glaucoma. The first sign of glaucoma is often the loss of peripheral or side vision, which can go unnoticed until late in the disease.

Warning signals:

Detecting glaucoma early is one reason you should have a complete exam with an eye specialist every year or two. However, the presence of the following warning signs, indicates that you need a thorough eye examination:

Vision loss

Unusual trouble adjusting to dark rooms

Difficulty focusing on near or distant objects

Squinting or blinking due to unusual sensitivity to light or glare

Halos around lights

Redness in the eye

Eye that looks hazy (particularly in infants)

Change in color of iris

Red-rimmed, encrusted or swollen lids

Recurrent pain in or around eyes

Double vision

Nausea or vomiting

Pain in the eye

Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)

Dark spot at the center of viewing

Lines and edges appear distorted or wavy

Excess tearing or “watery eyes”

Dry eyes with itching or burning

Seeing spots, ghost-like images

Severe headaches

The following may be indications of potentially serious problems that might require emergency medical attention:

Sudden loss of vision in one eye

Sudden hazy or blurred vision

Flashes of light or black spots

Halos or rainbows around light

The symptoms listed above may not necessarily mean that you have glaucoma. However, if you experience one or more of these symptoms, contact your eye doctor for a complete exam. There is always the possibility that these are symptoms of glaucoma.

How is glaucoma detected?

Regular eye examinations by your ophthalmologist are the best way to detect glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist will measure your eye pressure (tonometry); inspect the drainage angle of your eye (gonioscopy); evaluate your optic nerve (ophthalmoscopy); and test the visual field of each eye (perimetry).

Who is at risk for glaucoma?

High eye pressure alone does not mean that you have glaucoma, but it is an important risk factor your ophthalmologist will use to determine your risk for developing the disease.

Everyone is at risk for glaucoma. However, certain groups are at higher risk than others.

People at high risk for glaucoma should get a complete eye exam, including eye dilation, every year or two.

The following are groups at higher risk for developing glaucoma.

African Americans

After cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African Americans and people of African descent. Glaucoma is six to eight times more common in African Americans than in Caucasians.

People over 60

Glaucoma is much more common among older people. You are six times more likely to get glaucoma if you are over 60 years of age.

People with family members with glaucoma

The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, is hereditary. Family history increases risk of glaucoma by four to nine times.

Asians

People of Asian descent appear to be at increased risk for angle-closure glaucoma; this type of glaucoma accounts for less than 10% of all diagnosed cases of glaucoma.

Hispanics in older age groups

The risk for Hispanic populations is greater than those of predominantly European descent, and even greater among Hispanics over the age of 60.

Past eye injuries

Eye injury may cause secondary open-angle glaucoma. This type of glaucoma can occur immediately after the injury or years later.

Other possible risk factors include:

High myopia (nearsightedness)

Central corneal thickness less than .5 mm.

Elevated eye pressure

Thin cornea

Steroid use

A history of severe anemia or shock

According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, individuals with diabetes and hypertension may also have an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Your ophthalmologist will weigh all of these factors before deciding if you need treatment for glaucoma; or whether you should be monitored regularly as a glaucoma suspect to detect the early signs of damage to the optic nerve. Symptoms of glaucoma: keep an eye on them!

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.